Plumbing fitting

ABSTRACT

A water closet flange for connecting a water closet to drain piping. The closet flange includes slots for the water closet mounting bolts, the slots having feathered edges adapted to receive the stems of the bolts and to hold the bolts in an inverted position when mounting the water closet on the closet flange.

United States Patent 1191 Pepper 1 Nov. 12, 1974 PLUMBING FITTING 2,758,316 8/1956 Schwarz e111] 4 252 R 3,012,252 12/1961v G dd 4/252 R [75] Inventor Kenneth Pepper Damon 3,311,391 3/1967 nzrre n 285/58 [73] Assignee: Genova Products, Davison, Mich 3,339,215 9/1967 Flood 4/252 R 3,775,780 l2/l973 McEwen 4/252 R [22] Filed: Oct. 10, 1972 f [21] Appl. No.: 295,802 Primary Examiner-Henry K. Artis Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Olsen and Stephenson [52] US. Cl 4/252 R, 4/68, 285/56, I

, 85/1 H 57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. E03d 11/13, F161 5/00, F161 15/00 58 Field of Search 4/68, 170, 252; 285/56 A Y f flange i 285/57 58 59 85 A dram plpmg. The closet flange 1ncludes slots tor the water closet mounting bolts, the slots having feathered [56] References Cited edges adapted to receive the stems of the bolts and to hold the bolts'in an inverted position when mounting UNUED STATES PATENTS the water closet on the closet flange. 2,246,457 6/1941 Schultz 85/1 H 4/1951 Angelone 85/1 H X 8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures the closet flange to thelwatercloset ina simple and easy manner. Normally, there is no convenient way of retaining the fastening bolts in position during assembly. The bolts must be passed'throu'gh the closet flange in an inverted position which makes it difficult for the plumber to align the bolt holes of the. water closetlon' the ends of the fastening bolts.

- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 1 1 The present invention has overcome the deficiencies of the prior art andhas provided a plumbing fitting in the-formof a :closet flange which will enable the plumber to insert thefastening bolts readily in an inverted position with respect to 'the closet flange after which the water closet can conveniently be aligned with the inverted bolts and mounted on the closet flange. j According to oneform .of the present invention, a

' plumbing fitting is provided comprising an integral onepiece fitting molded from organic plastic material, said fitting including a tubular portion having a radial flange projecting outwardly from its'upper end,' said radial flange having boltholes on diametrically oppositesides for passage of the heads of bolts and shortcircumferentially directed slots of narrower dimension in communication with said bolt holes for accommodating the stems of the bolts. The radial flange has relatively thin inwardly projecting feathered edges at the slots which are of narrower dimension than the remainder of the.

slots and of the stems of the bolts. The bolts can be pressed into the slots in an inverted position and the feathered edges will yield to accommodate the stems' and will retain the stems of the inverted bolts so as to hold the bolts in place during assembly of the water v closet on the closet flange.

According to another form of the present invention the feathered edges are corrugated so as to provide smoothly radiused peaks and valleys, thus enabling bolts of a'plurality of sizes to be used with a standard plumbing fitting.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a, front elevational view of a closet flange embodying the present invention, and showing two. fastening bolts retained in place for securing a water closet to the closet flange; FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the closet flange; FIG. 3 isa bottom plan view of the closet flange;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED V EMBODIMENT v Before explaining the presentinvention in detail. it is to be understood that the invention is 'notlimited in its application to'the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is'capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is forv the purpose of de scription and not of limitation. l

Referring now to thedrawing, the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-5 will be described in greater detail. The closetflange or plumbing f tting is an integral one-piece fitting molded from organic plastic material and it includes a tubular portion 12. and a radial flange 14 projecting outwardly from the upper end of the tubular portion '12. The radial flange 12 has bolt holes 16 and 18 on diametrically opposite sides for passage of the heads 20 of the fastening screws or bolts 22. Shortcircumferentially directed slots 24 and 26 open at their one end to the bolt holes 16 and 18 so as to be in communication therewith. The slots 24 and 26 have a width corresponding ,to or slightly larger than that of the stems of the bolts 20 so that the bolts can be passed intothe slots 24 and 26 to thepositions shown in FIGS.

2 and 3. The head 20 has a greater transverse dimention than the width of the slot-so that the bolts, when in theinverted position shown in FIG. 1 can be used for open ends of the slots 24 and '26.'Referring particularly a to FIGS. 4 and 5, it will be seen that the slot26 has inwardl-y directed feathered edges 28 in the plane of the upper surface 30 of the radial flange .14. The spacing between the inner extremeties of the feathered edges 28 is less than the dimension across the remainder of the slot 26 and less than the diameter of the stem 32 so as to provide a holding means for retaining the bolts 22 in place. The spacing between the inner edges of the feathered edges 28 is an amount less than the diameter of the stem 32 of the bolt 20 to require the bolt to be pressed manually into the slot 26 where the feathered edges 28 will maintain a holding action on the stem 32 thereby retaining the fastening bolt in the position shown in FIG. 1.

' In the preferred form of the invention, both edges of the slot 26 will be provided with feathered edges, and preferably, such edges will be in the planeof the top surface 30.

To provide more universal application of a fitting embodying the present invention, it is preferred that the FIG. 4 is an enlargedfragmentary bottom plan view of one of the bolt holes and its associated slot;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the lines 5-5 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 5,showing a modified form of the invention.

feathered edges be corrugated asis shown at 34 in FIG. 6. A construction and arrangement utilizing corrugated feathered edges, wherein the peaks and valleys of the corrugations are smoothly radiused, enable bolts 20 of different sizes to be used most advantageously. Normally, a feathered edge such as is provided in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5 is used most effectively with a bolt of one size only. For example, when the slots 24 and 26 are of an optimum size for receiving a onefourth inch bolt, an undue force may be necessary to slide a five-sixteenths. inch bolt into position, and con versely, when the slots are feathered to facilitate a fiveto be mounted, said flange having bolt slots in which bolts are inserted in inverted positions for securing said closet in place, each of said slots being wider at one end for initial insertion of a bolt and having a width at the other end substantially the same as that of the diameter of the bolt, the slot having an inwardly directed feathered edge at said other end of a dimension to require the bolt to be pressed therein so that afit for the bolt is provided at said feathered edge sufficient to sustain the bolt in place.

2. The closet flange that is defined in claim 1,

-4 wherein said feathered edge is corrugated.

5. The closet flange that -is'."defined in claim 4,

wherein the corrugated feathered edge hassmoothly radiused peaks and valleys.

6. An article of manufacture for use as a water closet flange comprising an integral one-piece fitting molded from organic plastic material, said fitting including a tubular portion having a radial flange projecting outwardly from its upper end, said radial flange having bolt holes on diametrically opposite sides for passage of the heads of bolts and short circumferentially directed slots of narrower dimension in communication with said bolt holes for accommodating the stems of the bolts, said radial flange having relatively thin inwardly projecting feathered edges at said slots of narrower dimension than the remainder of said slots so that the bolts can be pressed into the slots in an inverted position and the feathered edges will engage the stems of the inverted bolts-to hold the bolts in place during assembly of the water closet on the closet flange.

wherein said feathered edge is an extension of one planar surface of the closet flange.

3. The closet flange that is defined in claim 1,

wherein said closet flange is molded of organic plastic material.

4. The closet flange that is defined in claim 1,

' 'Llhe arti le of manufaeturethat is efinedin claim 6, wherein the feathered edges are flush with the upper surface of said radial flange.

8-. The article of manufacture that is defined in claim 7, wherein said feathered edges are corrugated so as to provide smoothly radiused peaks and valleys. 

1. A closet flange on which a water closet is adapted to be mounted, said flange having bolt slots in which bolts are inserted in inverted positions for securing said closet in place, each of said slots being wider at one end for initial insertion of a bolt and having a width at the other end substantially the same as that of the diameter of the bolt, the slot having an inwardly directed feathered edge at said other end of a dimension to require the bolt to be pressed therein so that a fit for the bolt is provided at said feathered edge sufficient to sustain the bolt in place.
 2. The closet flange that is defined in claim 1, wherein said feathered edge is an extension of one planar surface of the closet flange.
 3. The closet flange that is defined in claim 1, wherein said closet flange is molded of organic plastic material.
 4. The closet flange that is defined in claim 1, wherein said feathered edge is corrugated.
 5. The closet flange that is defined in claim 4, wherein the corrugated feathered edge has smoothly radiused peaks and valleys.
 6. An article of manufacture for use as a water closet flange comprising an integral one-piece fitting molded from organic plastic material, said fitting including a tubular portion having a radial flange projecting outwardly from its upper end, said radial flange having bolt holes on diametrically opposite sides for passage of the heads of bolts and short circumferentially directed slots of narrower dimension in communication with said bolt holes for accommodating the stems of the bolts, said radial flange having relatively thin inwardly projecting feathered edges at said slots of narrower dimension than the remainder of said slots so that the bolts can be pressed into the slots in an inverted position and the feathered edges will engage the stems of the inverted bolts to hold the bolts in place during assembly of the water closet on the closet flange.
 7. The article of manuracture that is defined in claim 6, wherein the feathered edges are flush with the upper surface of said radial flange.
 8. The article of manufacture that is defined in claim 7, wherein said feathered edges are corrugated so as to provide smoothly radiused peaks and valleys. 